Sake
by Amethyst Tiger
Summary: Does anyone remember Chuu and Koto from the Dark Tournament? Does anyone ELSE think that they just sort of BELONG together? Well, if so, then here's a sweet little romance for anyone that's interested! Enjoy!
1. Default Chapter

SAKE  
  
By: Amethyst Tiger  
Disclaimer: Me: (Standing in front of a huge audience) By round of applause, who thinks that I own Yu Yu Hakusho?  
One Random Guy: (Claps)  
Me: (Glares) (Pulls out shot gun, aims, shoots)  
One Random Guys: (Falls over dead)  
Me: (Addresses audience once again) Get the picture?  
Author's Note: Hey everyone! So, how have all of you been? I haven't posted in a while seeing as how I finished A Snag in Love. I have never claimed to be a specific genre writer, but what can I say? I love writing romance, and this is another one of those romance fics. Well anyway this is a pretty short story, but I hope you enjoy. I'm going to get down on my hands and knees now and beg for reviews. I don't care if they're good or bad, but I need reviews, otherwise . . . well, I don't want to think about what could become of me. Now that's not to say that I'm one of those shallow writers who would quit posting if she never got reviews, because in all truth I just LOVE writing! Come to think of it, I didn't expect the reviews that I've received so far. However, I just happen to LIKE reviews, and I like hearing from my readers, because they were all sweet enough to take the time to read whatever it is that I've written. Ack!! Here I go again, jabbering on and on and on. Sorry! ^_^, Well anyway, I hope you read and enjoy this fic, thanks!  
Chapter: 1  
Chuu lifted the sake bottle to his mouth and took a long swig from it. The cool liquid dampened his dry throat, and made the inside of his mouth tingle. When he pulled the bottle from his lips he let out a long sigh. He loved sake!  
He let his eyes wander around his surroundings, as he hadn't gotten himself so drunk that his vision was affected . . . yet. He grinned at that last thought. Actually, it took quite a while for him to become intoxicated due to the fact that he had done so much drinking that his body was beginning to become immune to certain amounts of alcohol intake.  
He found that his little walk had taken him in the direction of the destroyed stadium; the bits and pieces that were left of it were the only reminders of the terrible tournament that had just ended. He was lucky, they all were, that the tournament had ended with Urameshi's victory. That kid was tough, and he deserved every bit of praise and relaxation he could get after the hell he and his friends had been put through. Speaking of friends, Chuu had made a couple. Touya and Jin. They were good guys, even though Touya could be overly serious about a lot of things, and Jin was kind of hyperactive. Besides that though, he enjoyed their company, as did Rinku. He knew that his feelings were reciprocated by the other two demons, but it would be a cold day in hell when they admitted to it.  
He sighed, taking in a deep breathe of fresh air. The sky was a perfect baby blue, not a cloud in sight. The sea breeze rustled the green foliage around him and the sun shone down brightly. Everything, and everyone seemed much happier now. This island was actually very beautiful. It was unfortunate that none of them would be staying longer to enjoy it. Yes, in fact, this was the last day that anyone would spend there. The boat was coming early the next morning to pick them all up.  
Another sigh escaped him, and he took another few gulps of his beloved sake, savoring its bitter, yet familiar taste. It was very quiet around, which was why he was surprised when he heard faint sounds of movement from within the stadium ruins. Curiosity, and having nothing better to do with his time, got the better of him, and soon he found himself walking towards the mentioned area.  
At first, all he could see were broken pieces, the inside of the actual stadium had collapsed due to the extensive amount of power that had circulated around it. Such obstacles like the fallen debris were nothing a powerful person like him couldn't hop over or, if he felt like it, walk straight through. He opted for the first choice, though, mainly because it was less noisy, and he didn't want to scare away whatever thing he had heard. Maybe if luck were on his side (it usually was) then it would be a youkai looking for trouble. He could use a good morning warm-up, and to Chuu there was nothing like a fight to get the day started off right!  
He poked his head through one of the entryways that had not been completely destroyed and looked around the vast, desolate area. Just like everything else in the vicinity, the arena was filled with nothing but pieces of this and that. Nothing special. He was about to turn around and leave, deciding that maybe his ears had deceived him when his eyes caught the sight of someone in the middle of the place. She was a demon all right, but certainly not one looking for any trouble.  
He grinned. There was Koto, sitting on her knees in the middle of the arena, her ears matted down to her head. She wore a pair of wide legged blue jeans that stayed up only because of the black belt around her slender waist. A simple, yet form fitting, light pink t-shirt adorned her torso, and her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail. She seemed to be sad, which made Chuu frown. He had grown to like the cat youkai.  
Quietly, he tiptoed up behind her, careful not step on her tail, which lay sprawled out behind her. He glanced over her shoulder to see if he could figure out what she was looking at. She held a piece of the fighting platform in her clawed hands. Briefly, he wondered what could be so interesting about it, but decided rather than wondering he would just ask.  
"Whattcha lookin' at?" He asked. Suddenly, Koto let out a surprised yell and threw up the piece of debris in her shock. It landed right on top of Chuu's head, broke in to two pieces and fell to the ground. He blinked. That had not been what he was expecting.  
Koto's eyes were wide, and her tail had poofed out. She realized then who she was looking at and was going to sigh in relief when she remembered what she had done by accident.  
"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" She asked frantically.  
Chuu chuckled and took a sip from his sake bottle. "I'm just fine missy." He replied good-naturedly.  
Now Koto DID sigh in relief. "Thank goodness. You know you gave me quite a scare there. What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be back at the hotel resting or something?" She tilted her head, her ears twitching slightly in her curiosity. Chuu wasn't sure why, but he thought that she looked awfully cute like that!  
"Nah, I'm not tired. Actually, I came out here hoping to find someone to start a fight with. I'm kind of bored." He replied, scratching his head and looking around.  
Koto smiled softly. "And instead you found me. I'm sorry."  
Chuu's eyes widened. He hadn't meant that to be an insult at all! "I . . . no that's not what I meant, I just . . . well what I was saying . . . um . . . actually, I'm glad I found you. There's nothing like a pretty face to lift my spirits, you know." He had stumbled over his words, but found the right ones in the end. He wasn't kidding either. Chuu found her suddenly very attractive.  
Koto looked down at the ground, trying desperately to hide the rosy blush that now adorned her cheeks. "I . . . well thank you, I ah, I'm glad you found me too." She glanced up at him, and found that he was studying her carefully. Quickly she looked back down to the ground.  
"Oh? Is that right?" Questioned the much taller person.  
Koto nodded, finally forcing herself to look straight at him. Despite his rough appearance, he was quite handsome. The rugged whiskers were somehow attractive, and went along well with his rippling muscles, which were shown off quite generously through his shirt. Sure the hair was a little weird, but she thought that he had the nicest eyes. They were so different from his outward appearance. They were kindly looking, and inviting. Much to her dismay another blush touched her cheeks, but this time she did not want to look away. Instead she knitted her fingers together and took a deep breath.  
"Yes, um, I never got to formally thank you for protecting me when Toguro was devouring all of those souls. If it weren't for you I probably wouldn't be here right now, and so I guess--"  
However, her sentence was cut off when she felt Chuu's rough, yet soothing hand under her chin, gently lifting her face up, and then he touched his lips to hers. It was no more than a light butterfly caress, but it was nothing meager to either of them.  
Koto gazed at him, her mind still hazy from the kiss. Chuu pulled away slowly, never once stealing his eyes from Koto's.  
"You're welcome." He whispered, then turned and walked away.  
The cat-youkai watched after him, still dazed and surprised. She didn't know what to do except stand there and watch his retreating form. When he was out of sight, she brought shaky fingertips up to her lips and lightly touched them, but did not tear her eyes from the spot she had been watching, and would not for several minutes to come. 


	2. Sake Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Me: Friends, countrymen! Lend me your ears! I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of it's characters! Are you with me? Yay or ne!?  
Friends & Countrymen: Um . . .  
Me: Just say "yay" so we can get on with it!  
Friends & Countrymen: (Shrug) (Flatly) Yay.  
Me: (Rolls eyes) (Shrugs) Close enough. Just don't sue me, okay? Many thanks! ^_^  
Author's Note: So, okay, I haven't gotten any reviews (except one, but she doesn't count ^_~). However, this is a story based on sub-characters anyway, so I didn't, and still DON'T expect any at all or any time in the near future. However, for anyone who does just happen to stumble upon this story, takes a chance, and decides to read it, well, I'd appreciate some reviews. So, please read and enjoy. Thank You!  
Chapter: 2  
"See? Walk the dog." Said Rinku happily, as one of his yo-yo's touched and skimmed the floor for several seconds before sliding back up the string and into his little hands.  
Jin grinned widely as he was often known to do, blue eyes sparkling.  
"Cool." He said.  
He was learning some rather interesting slang from hanging around Rinku and Chuu lately, and he found he rather like the informal language. Jin was growing fond of Rinku, the troublesome kid was actually pretty cute sometimes, and as for Chuu, well he wasn't a bad guy. Pretty exciting to be around actually. Touya wasn't quite as stimulating, but the red haired demon related well to him anyway, he always had. All in all, Jin was more than happy with his new group, and he thought that they all were too.  
"Wanna see another one? I have a whole bunch more that I could show you!" Chimed Rinku suddenly.  
Jin chuckled, and placed hand on top of the kid's head, then proceeded to tussle up his hair a bit.  
"Hey!" Rinku protested while he swatted at Jin's hands.  
Jin winked at him. "Show me later, I've gotta get something in my stomach or I'm going to starve. Why don't you go show your tricks to Touya. I bet he'd like to see 'em."  
Actually, Jin knew very well that Touya probably didn't want to be bothered with such child's play, but they both found themselves humoring Rinku more and more lately . . . and since Chuu had wandered off earlier that morning, well it was up to he and the ice demon to look after the kid, even if Rinku really didn't need it. Both of them felt a strange obligation to do so anyway.  
Rinku sighed. "Naw, I can't find him, and a demon like Touya could be anywhere."  
"Well, I tell ya what then. When I come back a little later on, I'll make it up to you by taking you flying."  
The boy's eyes brightened. "Really? You will?"  
Jin winked and gave him the thumbs up. "Yup, I promise." And with that he left the room, lounge bound, as that was where they kept a generous buffet.  
He closed the door behind him, and turned to begin walking away. His first few steps appeared to be jinxed though, because the moment he took them he ran smack in to somebody and stumbled backwards.  
"Woah, sorry about that." He said out of reflex, but then looked at the person who he had collided with. He recognized Koto, the pretty judge and later announcer that had been in the tournament. He apologized again, this time more sincerely.  
"Here, let me help you up." He offered his hand to her, as she had lost her balance and actually fallen. She took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. She bowed.  
"Thank you. I'm sorry for hitting you."  
Jin shrugged. "S'ok. It was team work on both our parts." And with that, he walked past her, mind set on something to tame his grumbling stomach.  
Koto watched after him. He was one of the nicer demons she had come across in her lifetime. Oh well. She pulled out a sheet of paper with a few scribbled numbers on it. This was it. Third floor, room number 163. She'd gotten the number of Chuu's room from the desk clerk down in the lobby. She decided that she needed to see him again, talk to him, something. She just felt that she needed to.  
She sighed and put the paper back her pocket, then knocked lightly on the door. At first there was no answer, so she knocked again, this time a little bit louder.  
"Just a minute!"  
She heard a muffled reply coming from inside. The door opened suddenly then, revealing a small boy, who she remembered as Rinku, Chuu's little companion and winner of the very first battle.  
Rinku leaned against the doorframe, his eyes looking up at her. "Can I help you?" he asked.  
Koto fidgeted with her hands. She had to do this though, she couldn't back out.  
"Maybe, um . . . is Chuu here?" She asked, ears slouching slightly from nervousness.  
Rinku tilted his head, and narrowed his eyes. He seemed to be studying her when all of the sudden his eyes widened in realization.  
"Now I recognize you! You're that judge that Chuu liked, Koto, right?"  
She nodded. "Yes, I am."  
"Hm, well, Chuu isn't here right now, we don't know where he wandered off to, but he's been gone for a while, which means he's probably out of sake. He'll most likely be coming back soon to get another bottle. So if you want, you can come on in and wait for him." Offered the child politely.  
Koto smiled. He was a cutie!  
"I'd appreciate that very much." She answered, and Rinku led her inside.  
She took a seat on one of the two couches; Rinku sat on the one opposite.  
He folded his legs up to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. His bright eyes settled on Koto, and he gave her a calculating look. An idea hit him, and he smiled.  
"So, would YOU like to see some tricks?" 


	3. Sake Chapter 3 A Sweet Ending To A Sho...

Disclaimer: Hey everyone. Um . . . the point to this whole disclaimer thing is that I'm supposed to tell you that I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, and then, in return, you guys won't sue me. So, how's that working out? I mean seriously, I DO NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho at all, and I don't own the characters . . . just because I stalk them on the occasion doesn't mean ANYTHING! I've never claimed to own the show, although, it'd be great fun . . . which is not to say that I plan on coming up with some diabolical scheme to GET the show, so don't misinterpret that, which also isn't to say that I think any one WOULD, because I know you guys are all perfectly intelligent life forms, and . . . (sighs). Listen. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, I don't own the characters on Yu Yu Hakusho, I don't plan on TAKING the show from the owners, and further more, I'm sad to say this, but humans ARE NOT an intelligent life form! OKAY!???? (Sighs in relief) Okay, sorry about that little outburst, I'm done now, I promise. Well, onward friends. ^_^,  
Author's Note: I know what you're thinking . . . an author's note? After a disclaimer like that!? Well . . . yes. I like to talk, or type, or . . . um . . . you know communicate, so yeah. Not that it matters, because not many have read this story yet, except for one person who I know of so far, but once again, she doesn't count ^_~ Anyway though, I'm reeeeeeeally hungry, so I think I'm going to go raid the Lucky Charms box . . . hehehehe . . . I am the MARSHMALLOW QUEEN!!!!!!!!!! Mwahahahahahahaha. . . eh . . . oops, sorry 'bout that. Eheh . . . ^_^, Uhhh, anyway, in the meantime, you guys read this story, and please review, I'd greatly appreciate it, really I would. Um . . . that's about it for now, please enjoy. Thank you! (P.S. Saturn Firefly, you know I'm jokin' around, I really do love ya ^_~ )  
Chapter: 3  
Chuu hiccupped and grinned as he put the bottle of sake to his lips again. However, he frowned when nothing came out to moisten the insides of his mouth. Pulling the bottle away, Chuu glared at it, as if punishing it for not having more than a few drops of sake left. He tossed the bottle over his shoulder, and began walking away even before he heard it shatter on the ground beneath him. It seemed he would have to go get a refill. So, off he stumbled toward the hotel, although, he wasn't sure where he, or the hotel were, he could easily sense the many wandering ki signatures coming from one general direction and follow them back to where he needed to be, which is exactly what he did.  
As he walked, though, his mind drifted back to the beginning of that morning. His mind drifted back to Koto and the kiss that they had shared. The cat youkai hadn't pushed him away or showed any kind of resistance. He hadn't stuck around long enough to find out whether or not she had been to shocked or perhaps even to polite to pull away. His actions had startled even himself. It was just that, at that precise moment Koto had looked so pretty, her eyes obviously damp from tears she had been crying earlier, that pretty pink blush adorning her soft cheeks, and those downy ears that were slightly slumped downward out of embarrassment and sadness. Her lips had been so . . . inviting.  
Chuu suddenly found a blush whisking across HIS cheeks as he thought about the cat youkai. He had to admit that he had become fond of her during the tournament, she being the only one who could understand his slurred speech and such. She was very talented it seemed. Although he wondered then, why she had been upset when he walked in on her. Shouldn't she be happy that everything was over? How many times did she get smacked around by a few of those bastard contestants? Judging the Dark Tournament was anything but easy!  
He frowned at these last thoughts, and kicked at the dusty ground, his boots causing an insignificant dust cloud to rise up into the air. Chuu took a brief moment to examine his scuffed shoe before lifting his head, and his eyes upward. They were greeted with the sight of the large luxurious hotel, standing proudly in the late morning sun. He grinned, just a few more paces and he could have his lovely sake.  
As he went through the doors that lead to the lobby, his eyes were set keenly on the elevator. The thought of the bittersweet liquid trickling down his throat, and the sensation of it tingling on his tongue spurred his steps.  
Chuu pressed the 'up' button on the control panel. He waited impatiently while watching the numbers situated above the frame of the elevator light up and then go dark, each indicating the floors that it had just passed. He glared daggers at the numbers, as if scowling would somehow make the elevator drop faster.  
After a few more grueling seconds, if that, Chuu heard a soft 'ding', and the metallic doors slid open. He sighed in relief, and stepped inside the little compact box, his size making the elevator look smaller than it actually was. He briefly examined the panel of numbered buttons on the inner walls and pressed the one that corresponded with the floor his room was on. The doors began to slide shut, and Chuu was about to let out a sigh of relief when he heard a familiar voice yelling.  
"Hey, wait! Hold the elevator!"  
Chuu took a step back as an arm clad in green lodged itself between the doors, which hit and bounced apart, allowing the person entrance. Yusuke stepped in, a grin present on his handsome features, as usual.  
"Woah, that was a close one. Oh, hey Chuu, what's up?" Asked the smiling Tantai. Yusuke could tell that the much larger man was somewhat intoxicated, if not drunk. However, he took in to consideration that 99% of the time Chuu was drunk, and it didn't seem to affect him in a negative way really, and so, this thought soothed, Yusuke ignored it.  
"Nothin' really. How you feelin', I mean after that whole thing with that S.O.B. Toguro?" Chuu asked, glancing towards the doors, which shut completely. The elevator trembled as it began its incline, the soft, and yet annoying elevator music playing dully in the background.  
A carefree grin accompanied Yusuke's next answer.  
"I'm a little sore, but whatever, that's kind of a given. What about you?"  
Chuu leaned against the vibrating elevator walls, idly crossing his arms over his broad chest. A yawn that sounded suspiciously like a hiccup escaped him, and he shrugged.  
"Can't complain. How're your friends? Heard they were pretty beat up too."  
Yusuke's chocolate brown eyes darkened, almost as if a shadow had taken up residence within them.  
"They're recovering well enough." He said, his voice strangely distant, and low.  
Chuu studied the boy for a moment. Yusuke Urameshi. He was nothing more than a fourteen-year-old juvenile delinquent, and yet, he was probably the strongest, most honorable person that he had ever had the courtesy of meeting. Yusuke did not fight for himself, he fought for those who he cared about, and he did so with integrity. Chuu believed him to be much like himself, which, if that were the case, then Yusuke had never been the one to start a fight, only finish them, and with deadly accuracy. It was apparent that the boy was quite disturbed about the injury of his friends, although there was sadness too. He'd lost someone very dear to him . . . someone who's death he was still trying to cope with.  
Enshrouded in silence, the pair stood waiting, glancing around at nothing in particular, which made as much sense as you will, merely because there was nothing in the elevator that begged attention.  
Chuu's vision was slightly blurred, and on the occasion he lost his balance. However, this was nothing unusual, and neither were the vainly disguised hiccups that kept reverberating from his mouth. Suddenly, the elevator came to an abrupt halt, and the metallic doors slid open.  
"Well, this is my floor. I'll see ya around Chuu." Yusuke said.  
"Yeah, take care of yourself Urameshi." Chuu replied.  
He watched Yusuke leave between the brief period that he stepped out of the elevator and when the doors slid shut. Chuu found himself alone, and disliking the elevator. It really was quite annoying, reminding him of an overgrown music box of some sort. He sighed, and let out a yawn. Blue eyes glanced warily up at the temporarily glowing numbers. Two more floors. That was good, for his tongue was beginning to yearn for that bubbly, bittersweet taste of cold sake.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Koto clapped her hands lightly, smiling as Rinku dazzled her with another one of his more advanced yo-yo tricks.  
  
"That's very good!" She said, after the yo-yo had been pulled up and sat resting lazily in his small palms. "Where in the three worlds did you learn how to do that?" She asked.  
  
Rinku grinned, showing his white teeth proudly.  
  
"I've been doing this sort of thing for as long as I can remember. The first trick I ever learned was taught to me by my Dad." He said, taking a seat right next to her.  
  
"Your Dad?" She asked, somewhat surprised.  
  
He nodded. "Well, yeah. Everyone has a Dad, it's just that . . .well, mine died a long time ago."  
  
Koto's expression turned from curious to sympathetic in a heartbeat. Such a young child too. Poor thing.  
  
"You know, I lost my Mom when I was just a little bit older than you are."  
  
Rinku looked up at her with wide eyes. "You did?"  
  
Koto nodded. The little child shifted closer to her.  
  
"Were . . . you sad?" He asked, tilting his head.  
  
The cat youkai smiled softly, and acquiesced.  
  
"Yes, I was very sad." She answered. "But you know what?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You are a very lucky young man, because, you have a wonderful friend like Chuu."  
  
Rinku smiled, and nodded. "Yeah I know that. And Jin, and Touya are great too. I guess in a way, they're all sorta my new family."  
  
Koto smiled. There was a brief silence between them. The child's eyes seemed to study her intently, his young, but well developed mind calculating. After a moment, he nodded, and sat back a little heavier against the sofa. He crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded.  
  
"I can see why Chuu likes you." He commented casually.  
  
Her eyes widened.  
  
"Pardon?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, Chuu thinks you're very pretty, and I guess, for a girl, you are." He said, eyeing her closely. "You're a lot nicer than some of the other girls Chuu has meant before too."  
  
Koto blinked. She was fairly certain that Rinku's words were complimentary to her, and she could not help but look on the boy fondly. He was still so young, and full of life, and it she found it humorous that he was still at the age where he thought that girls were gross. Yes, she rather liked him, although, she imagined that he was quite a handful.  
  
Suddenly, their attention was torn away from one another, and was brought to the closed door. The knob was being clumsily turned, first to the wrong side several times, and then, after what seemed to be a moment of hazy recollection, in the correct direction. The door was pushed open with more force than was actually needed, and revealed a very tipsy Chuu.  
  
"Chuu! You're back." Rinku said, jumping to his feet.  
  
The child wandered over to his friend. Chuu placed a large hand atop his head, and ruffled his brown hair, smiling fondly down at his young companion.  
  
"Chuu, you have a visitor." And Rinku pointed a finger towards Koto, who stood up very formally, and a little shyly.  
  
Chuu's blue eyes widened slightly, although, it was not clear if they did so out of surprise, or merely because his vision was too blurred to make out the cat youkai. Koto thought the latter.  
  
He starred at her, swaying somewhat, but balancing himself using the door. Koto starred back, biting her lip nervously, and Rinku watched with great interest, although somewhat impatiently. Surely, one of the two would make some sort of gesture. A simple greeting would do nicely. And one would also assume that the silence that sat indolently between them was one of an uncomfortable nature. Naturally, that silence begged to be broken, right? Surely so, but opportunity was never given, for in that silence, those few minutes, Chuu began to stagger more and more, and then, quite abruptly, he fell. He fell face first onto the floor, landing with a harsh CRASH.  
  
Koto jumped, startled, and Rinku rolled his eyes.  
  
Chuu! Drunk again." He muttered.  
  
Koto covered her mouth with her hand, and rushed over to him. She knelt down next to his much larger form.  
  
"Oh dear. Um . . ."  
  
She placed her hands hesitantly on his side, but pulled back for an unknown reason. Koto closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to calm herself, and she opened her eyes. This time she placed her hands on his side a little more confidently, and gave him a big shove. Slowly, like a rock, Chuu was flipped on to his back.  
  
"There now . . . that wasn't so hard." She said aloud.  
  
Rinku sighed as he closed the door.  
  
"You can just leave him there, he does this a lot, it's not a big deal." He commented easily, and leapt over his friend's still body in order to get to the couch. Koto watched him in slight shock. Could he honestly just be left there? No, she couldn't allow it.  
  
"Nonsense. He needs to be put to bed, or on the couch or somewhere." She said, looking at the boy, who was fiddling with his yo-yos, quite expectantly.  
  
Rinku shrugged, and grinned over at her.  
  
"Sorry, but Chuu is way to heavy for me to lift. You can give it a shot if you really want to." He said, and went back to his fun.  
  
Koto frowned.  
  
"Lovely." She said bitterly, to herself.  
  
Her eyes starred at his unmoving form, and she tapped one of her clawed fingers against her lips. How could she go about moving him? Certainly, she couldn't expect herself to leave him there, although the prospect was somewhat tempting due to the fact that Chuu was not nearly as charming when he was unconscious, his normally hansom features contorted into a still look of drunken ignorance. She sighed. No, she could not leave him. Thinking creatively, as she was often known to do, Koto pulled out her pink ribbon. She held the stick end tightly in her hand, and with a flick of her wrist, she wrapped the ribbon around Chuu's arm. Although she was not a strong youkai, she had a minimal amount of you-ki, which she channeled into the ribbon, strengthening it. She took a deep breath and began pulling hard, backing up slowly as Chuu's body began to slid across the floor. Rinku watched this in amazement.  
  
Koto pulled Chuu, with great effort mind you, into the bedroom. She managed to get his upper half onto the bed, and then, with one giant heave, she lifted his legs onto the bed as well, and then set about making him comfortable.  
  
"Wow. You're pretty strong." Rinku stated with wide eyes.  
  
Koto turned to wink at him. "You of all people should know that size is often betraying."  
  
"Yeah but still, that was surprising."  
  
The cat youkai's ears slouched a little, and she wiped her brow with the back of her hand.  
  
"If lifting his legs was enough to make me sweat, it's beyond me how HE manages to carry around his entire body!" She said.  
  
Rinku laughed aloud, and Koto joined him.  
  
The remainder of the day was spent rather slowly. Koto tended to the unconscious Chuu, Rinku her constant companion. The boy had many questions about many things, including the various ways that Koto cared for Chuu. The cat youkai happily, and patiently explained many different healing methods, and when they got hungry, she let him help her make lunch. Rinku found himself looking on her as a sort of mother figure. His mother had died giving birth to him leaving his father as his soul parent, but when his father died, he was an orphan, and by fate alone he had come to meet Chuu.  
  
He discovered that Koto was a good cook, and she was very fun to talk to. She listened to him when he spoke, and seemed genuinely interested in everything that he had to say. He entertained her with more stunning tricks, and all in all, he enjoyed the time he spent with her. Near the end of the day, Touya and Jin reappeared. Both recognized Koto, and Rinku explained what had happened. They basically ignored her presence, until dinnertime, that is. For Koto set to work making a variety of foods that became very popular. Afterwards, Jin was very social, and even Touya chatted with her. Every now and then Koto would go to check on Chuu, and when she came back, she found herself engrossed in conversation over an enjoyable game of cards.  
  
And the evening wore on like this for quite some time before Jin excused himself to go use the bathroom. It was on his way back that he just happened to glimpse Chuu shifting in his bed.  
  
"Koto, I think Chuu is waking up." He called.  
  
Immediately, Koto was by his bedside, followed by Touya and then by Rinku, who crawled onto the bed, and sat on his heels at the bottom. Chuu's blue eyes began to flutter open, although they remained half lidded. He groaned, his stomach feeling queasy, and his head throbbing.  
  
"Touya, be a dear, and go fetch some coffee, and some soup. Both should still be hot." Koto asked, sparring a smile toward the ice demon, who nodded and disappeared, returning moments later with the requested things.  
  
Koto set the soup and coffee down on a nightstand, and leaned in a little closer to Chuu. He groaned again, but when his eyes caught sight of Koto, her hair now down as it had been in the tournament, and her gentle eyes watching him with concern, he stopped. She caught his hazy gaze, and sucked in her breath.  
  
Rinku grinned, and looked at the other two demons. Touya and Jin gave one another knowing glances, and Jin giggled quietly. Touya rolled his icy eyes, but couldn't suppress a subtle grin.  
  
"Um . . . you should probably drink some of this." Koto said, reaching for the coffee cup.  
  
Chuu sat up unsteadily, and gently took it from her slender hands. He drank it slowly, savoring its sobering qualities, and sighed as his vision began to become less fuzzy and more clear. Every now and then he would glance up at Koto, who would immediately divert her eyes, and a light blush would appear on her soft cheeks. It was during one of these little glances that his stomach rumbled, much to his embarrassment. He grinned sheepishly at Koto who smiled back. She grabbed the bowl of still steaming soup, and pushed it into his hands.  
  
"Thanks." He muttered.  
  
Koto just nodded.  
  
"Um . . . we had better leave you to uh . . . finish that up, so if you need anything, I'll just be right in the other room." She said, suddenly standing up.  
  
Chuu wanted to call out to her as she hurried from the room, but something stopped him, and he sighed, somewhat upset with himself when it was too late.  
  
"You like her!" Jin taunted in singsong voice.  
  
Chuu glared at him. "I never said that." He mumbled, and then took a sip of his soup.  
  
Touya grinned widely. "But you never DENYED it either. I think Jins right!" He said.  
  
Rinku laughed. "You guys look! Chuu is blushing! Look! Look!"  
  
Indeed, Chuu's cheeks were tinted a soft pinkish red color. A usually innocent, and pure gesture, was greatly betrayed, and contrasted by the angry gritting of Chuu's teeth.  
  
"I am not!" He protested.  
  
Jin let out a hearty laugh. "Rinku is right! You're blushing!"  
  
Rinku and Touya laughed right along with Jin for a while, and Chuu merely glared, having neither the energy, nor the perception to do anything more. He just sipped his soup indignantly, and scowled at his companions, who found this rather amusing too, and laughed harder.  
  
Finally, the laughter began to die down to chuckles, and then slight giggles. Touya wiped at his icy blue eyes and let out a sigh.  
  
"So what if you're attracted her, Chuu? What's so wrong about that? I think she's a lovely girl, and you don't often meet demons who are quite as pleasant as she is." Touya said, encouragingly.  
  
Jin nodded his head in enthusiasm.  
  
"He's right ya know. Anyway, she's a gooood cook!" He said, and he placed a hand on his stomach, winking appreciatively.  
  
Rinku grinned too.  
  
"I like her too, Chuu, and you like her, and Koto likes you, so I don't see any reason why you guys shouldn't get together." He said cheerfully.  
  
Actually, Rinku wasn't quite sure of what the concept of 'getting together' was. However, from what his young mind could comprehend, he knew that when two people (or demons, or what have you) 'got together', they usually STAYED together, and Rinku liked Koto, and he liked Chuu, and in his mind he believed that that was what they should do. After all, if they 'got together' then perhaps he could have back something that he'd lost: a loving mother, and father.  
  
Chuu slurped what was left of his soup absently, and then set the bowl down on the nightstand next to the vacant coffee cup. He sighed somewhat dejectedly.  
  
"Okay, so I like her. So what?" He asked in a somewhat pouty manner.  
  
Jin rolled his bright eyes, and put his hands on his hips, tilting his head slightly to the side.  
  
"So DO something about it, stupid!" He said playfully.  
  
Chuu eyed him warily.  
  
"Ch! Right. Like What EXACTLY am I supposed to do? Just spit out admissions of undying love for a demon that I barely even know?"  
  
Touya shrugged. "Well, sort of. Although, maybe you could ease up a bit and just . . . oh I don't know . . . TALK to her. Yeah, yeah you could definitely do THAT!"  
  
Rinku let out a cheer. "C'mon Chuu, you can do it!" He said, but then grinned slyly. "Unless of coarse you're a wuss." He added, casting his eyes up at the ceiling.  
  
Chuu's dull blue eyes glinted, and you could practically see the waves of 'manly' pride rolling of him. He got up from the bed, a little shakily at first, but then he stood erect, and with his head held up high.  
  
"I am NOT, a wuss." He said.  
  
Jin gave him a smack on the back, which propelled him forward slightly.  
  
"So prove it." Jin retorted.  
  
The larger man looked back at the beaming red head, the smirking ice demon, and the grinning child with a scowl. Their expressions did not alter in the slightest, and upon seeing this Chuu diverted his attention toward the open doorway. Just beyond it he could see Koto sitting on the sofa, her hands folded and fidgeting in her lap. Her ears were slightly slouched, and her tail, which hung off the edge of the couch, twitched almost nervously. He smiled. Kawaii!  
  
Taking a deep breath, Chuu took his first few shaky steps into the main room. Talk to her. Yes he could do that. He'd done it before, and even if nothing CAME from it, he felt as though he should at least apologize for what he had done in the morning. He cleared his throat as he came up behind her. Koto startled a bit when she heard the slightly gruff, but otherwise kind voice. She turned to face him shyly, and stood up.  
  
"You're feeling better, that's very good." She said.  
  
Chuu plastered a big grin onto his face.  
  
"Yep! So good in fact, that I feel like going for a um . . . a walk! Would you like to come with?" He asked.  
  
Koto's ears perked up, and she nodded almost immediately. Chuu's grin widened even more, and he went so far as to offer his arm to her. She linked hers into his, and the pair strolled out of the room. Just before the door closed, they could hear the unmistakable sound of laughter.  
  
A few minutes later found the pair walking just outside of the large hotel. The sky was black and alive with twinkling stars, and their father the silver moon. The dim, yellow lights from the hotel windows glowed warmly outward, but did nothing more than to illuminate a few meaningless feet of ground.  
  
Koto and Chuu walked away from those yellow lights towards the rushing, fresh sound of water crashing upon the shore. As they walked, silence was their companion, and although neither lead, somehow they found themselves without conflict when it came to the direction in which they walked. Perhaps the sea has a magnetic pull, or a certain amount of "magic" that one can't help to ignore, and then perhaps we should never know exactly why it draws so many to it. Be that as it may, the pair soon found themselves on the beach, nothing of the hotel could be seen, save for those dim lights that vainly summoned them back.  
  
"This is quite lovely. I mean, when the tournament isn't happening, this island is such a beautiful place." Koto commented suddenly.  
  
Chuu nodded in agreement, and allowed the cat youkai to gently slip her arm away from his own. He gazed at her slender form as she walked toward the water. She stopped to pull off her shoes, which only took a moment, and then continued walking to the water's edge. The water, black and mysterious lapped at her bare feet and ankles, and for some reason, this made the girl laugh. She was very pretty bathed in the pale moonlit, laughing, her turquoise eyes shimmering like precious jewels. She seemed . . . unworldly.  
Chuu sucked in his breath, and let it out slowly. He let himself wander up to her side, and she looked up at him, and he down at her. He let out a sigh, and plopped down onto the sand, slightly dizzy. Koto knelt down next to him in concern.  
  
"I see. Not as fine as you thought you were, hm?" She asked playfully.  
  
He grinned up at her and shrugged.  
  
"It's not nice to fib." She said, taking a seat next to him.  
  
"I wasn't fibbing. I felt fine THEN." He replied. A sigh slipped from his mouth then. "I gotta apologize for this morning. I don't know what I was thinking, I guess the sake was getting' to my head." He blurted out.  
  
Chuu was still under the firm belief that Koto had been too shocked to push him away.  
  
Koto blinked. "I . . . um . . ." She began, but let her sentence trail in order to gather her thoughts. During this period she folded her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms about them, and then she allowed herself to lean backwards a little bit, her eyes catching the winks of the stars.  
  
"To tell you the truth . . . I was hoping . . . well, was it just the sake?" She asked, now turning her gaze to him.  
  
He sighed again. " . . .No, I can't lie to you, but, but I am sorry!"  
  
Koto sighed in relief and giggled.  
  
"What?" He asked, taken aback by her action.  
  
Her fluffy tail batted at his arm, and she winked at him.  
  
"Thank goodness. If it HAD just been the sake, then I would be the one who had to apologize!"  
  
Chuu's blank expression was proof enough that he did not understand what she meant. Koto paused to think about any possibly courses of action, and her mind only calculated one. Using a speed that Chuu did not perceive she had, Koto untangled herself from her position, leaned over, and up, and gave him a quick smack on the lips. The man blinked in utter shock and surprise, and he hesitantly put his fingers to his lips, almost as if her were searching for evidence of what had just taken place.  
  
"Your reaction was similar to mine. But, look at me. I've never been so daring before. I can't believe that I'm not even blushing! I always blush when things like that happen, but then, I've never done anything like that, and so how would I know, right?" She rambled.  
  
Chuu smiled to himself, and then openly to her.  
  
"Well at least we know what you do in these types of situation NOW."  
  
She blinked. "We do?"  
  
He nodded. "Missy, you chatter." He said.  
  
Koto opened her mouth, but to agree, or to protest, one could never know, for her lips were snatched into a kiss. This kiss was different, deeper, and this time, both responded eagerly. When they finally parted for air, silence once again swooped in between them. Blue and turquoise eyes starred into one another, and then Chuu cracked a smile. Koto followed his example, and together they started to laugh, although, neither was sure why, for their was no reason, and nothing was humorous, unless of coarse you find it comical that it took two failures before one successful kiss could take place between them. And perhaps that was what they laughed at, or maybe they laughed out of relief, or out of happiness, and maybe it was all of those combined. Whatever the reason, their laughter floated above the black, mysterious water, and onto the tender breeze, which carried it away, off into the dark distance.  
  
After a good few minutes of laughing without a purpose, Chuu found himself inclined to ask her a question that had been poking at his mind for quite some time.  
  
"Missy?" He began.  
  
"Koto." She corrected.  
  
He smiled. "Koto. May I ask you a question?"  
  
She shrugged. "I suppose."  
  
"Why were you crying this morning?"  
  
Koto faced him fully, and tilted her head to the side her downy ears slightly slouched in thought. She bit one side of her lower lip, exposing one of her white fangs absently.  
  
"I mean, you don't have to tell me, I guess I was just kinda curious, I--"  
  
"I was crying because I don't know what to do, or where to go." Koto cut him off abruptly, speaking quite frankly. Her ears were now pressed against her head.  
  
"But what do you mean?"  
  
She made what sounded like a whimpering deep in her throat, and then sighed.  
  
"I'm not judging this tournament anymore . . . actually, I got fired." She said.  
  
His eyes widened. "Fired? Why?"  
  
"Well, technically, I was fired the LAST time the tournament was held because I was too emotional, or something to that effect. I judged this year's in order to finish out my contract. And now, I don't have anywhere to go, and I don't know what to do. I'd go home, but I can't because of my sisters. We don't always see eye to eyes, and it just wouldn't work out. That's why I left, and applied for the job in the first place. I'm not a powerful youkai, and, and I don't know what to do!" She said in exasperation, and she buried her face in her hands, no doubt crying.  
  
Chuu sighed, feeling more than bad for her. But an idea came to him. She had no where to GO, and HE had nothing to DO, and he liked her, and she liked him, and Rinku, Jin, and Touya all liked her, so . . .  
  
"Why don't you come with us?" He blurted out.  
  
She looked up at him surprised, and wiped her eyes.  
  
"What?" She asked, forcing her sobs to ebb.  
  
Chuu nodded vigorously, and stood up.  
  
"Yeah. I mean, I like you, and I think it's safe to say that you like me too, and the guys like you, and you have no where to go, so . . . why not?"  
  
Koto stared up at him in disbelief, her mind trying to catch everything that he had just said. She DID like Chuu, and he DID like her, and she like Rinku, and Jin, and Touya too, and it was true that she didn't have anywhere else to go, so . . .  
  
Chuu extended a hand out to her. She eyed it, and let out a smile. So what did she have to lose? She nodded, and laid her hand in his much larger one, and Chuu pulled her up from the sand, and into a fierce hug, which she returned.  
  
Suddenly, the sounds of the crashing waves, and the whistling breeze were tuned out by a series of cheers, and laughter. Chuu and Koto snapped their heads in the direction of the offending noise only to find that source was the red headed Jin, the icy eyed Touya, and the cheery Rinku. They all grinned, and Chuu glared. Koto blushed.  
  
"What are you guys doing out here!?" Yelled Chuu.  
  
Jin shrugged. "What are WE doing out here? Well nothing really, but I can tell you this, it's not NEARLY as interesting as what YOU two were doing out here!" He said, and winked.  
  
"Hey Chuu, I said TALK!" Touya yelled, smiling.  
  
Koto blushed deeper, and Chuu glared harder. The two demons, plus Rinku ran down to the beach to join the blushing cat youkai, and the indignant Chuu, gaining more hearty laughter. Minutes passed, and the laughter died, as it often tends to do.  
  
"So you're coming with us, Koto?" Rinkue asked, lightly tugging on Koto's jeans.  
  
She looked down at him, and his eyes were filled with hope. She looked up at Touya who just gave her an accepting smile, and then at Jin who gave her a huge grin that promised lots of bear hugs for years to come. She then cast her eyes to Chuu who looked at her with eyes filled with promises of a deeper love than her heart could ever have hoped to achieve, and she realized that this was her new family, and she smiled.  
  
"Yes, I'm coming with you." She said softly, her eyes glancing from one to the other.  
  
A hoard of cheers broke the silence once more, and as Jin grabbed a very happy Rinku, hoisting him up onto his shoulders, and Touya followed them back up toward the hotel, Koto lingered for a moment with Chuu. She just watched, and she thought about how her life was about to change, how it was about to change for the better, she was sure. And suddenly, she felt an arm snake around her waist. She looked up into Chuu's kindly eyes.  
  
"Let's go, Koto." He said.  
  
Koto glanced up at his hansom face for a moment, before looking straight ahead of her again.  
  
"Missy." She corrected.  
  
Chuu smiled, and together, they started forward.  
-OWARI 


End file.
